Data 101

Washington, DC launches AI-powered 'DC Compass"

Washington DC's Office of the Chief Technology Officer and Esri recently launched a public beta version of the ‘DC Compass’ which uses generative artificial intelligence to answer data-oriented civic questions and create maps from thousands of open data sets. Per Cities Today, "the launch follows a 6-month private beta which allowed DC to work with Esri to improve the software to provide intuitive answers to requests."

WD

Washington, DC

United States

Boston, MA adds urban tree data to open data hub

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public access to urban tree data, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and Urban Forestry Division will now give the public access to data collected from the street tree inventory conducted in 2021 and data from ongoing efforts to inventory trees in parks on Analyze Boston. This integration into Analyze Boston consolidates valuable urban forestry information alongside other city datasets for research or analytic purposes.

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Boston, MA

United States

Sydney, NSW partners with Western Sydney University on microclimate mapping project

Two hundred sensors were placed throughout Sydney's eastern neighborhoods for the three-month project. All sensors gather air temperature data at 10-minute intervals with a smaller cohort of sensors collecting humidity data. Researchers identified diverse locations for sensor placement ranging from heavily traveled roads to residential streets with dense tree canopies. Sydney will use microclimate maps for targeted interventions on the path to its 2035 net-zero goal.

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Sydney, NSW

Australia

Surrey, BC monitors progress toward a zero-carbon city with its Climate Action Tracker

Surrey's Climate Action Change Strategy (CACS) calls for a 45% emissions reduction by 2030 on the way to net-zero operations by 2050. The Climate Action Tracker leads with a graph of recent and current emission levels compared to the 2030 goal. Visuals show the city's progress on CACS initiatives including completed, in-progress, and scheduled projects. Users can also investigate goals and targets in six areas like Resilient 15-Minute Neighbourhoods.

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Surrey, BC

Canada

Camden, NSW Hook, Line & Measure project works with anglers on research about local waterways

Council officials ask residents to fill out an online form when they fish on local rivers and streams. The form asks for the date, location, and outcome of any fishing activities in Camden. Anglers are also asked for fish species and weights along with photos of their catches. The Hook, Line & Measure website includes an interactive map and data about the most commonly caught fish. Additional resources cover topics like humane harvesting and state licensure.

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Camden, NSW

Australia

Syddjurs, DK and neighboring cities map employment service processes with AI-powered platform

Syddjurs and four partner cities used artificial intelligence for a process mining initiative. Municipal data on unemployment benefits, city services, and department contacts resulted in maps of user experiences. The resulting platform recommends the optimal path for each resident's employment search based on predictive analytics. Participating municipalities received 4.1 million kroner from a national innovation fund for the project.

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Syddjurs, DK

Denmark

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Vejle, DK

Denmark

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Hertfordshire County Council, GB partners with AWS on AI-powered traffic monitoring platform

County officials wanted a monitoring solution for automated and standardized data collection. Videos from local traffic cameras are sent through an app built on AWS Amplify to the AWS Rekognition tool for analysis. Traffic types, directions, and speeds are documented before image deletion. Twelve-hour sections of video can be correctly categorized in as little as two hours. The platform is easy to access without training and reduces personnel time spent on traffic counts.

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Hertfordshire County Council, GB

United Kingdom

Luton Borough Council, GB creates clearer views of resident needs with its Social Progress Index

Borough officials partnered with Social Progress Imperative on an interactive tool for evaluating community needs. The SPI is built on Tableau Public and divides data into three categories - Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. A Borough View tab shows ward-by-ward SPI scores and a comparison of SPI to household income. Council officials and local organizations identify localized needs from anti-social behavior to broadband speed in the Scorecard section.

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Luton Borough Council, GB

United Kingdom

Long Beach, CA develops Digital Rights Platform for public understanding of smart city technology

Long Beach partnered with Coding it Forward fellows on a 10-week development process for the platform's prototype. Digital Transparency in the Public Realm (DTPR) signage was placed near smart pedestrian counters and license plate readers. Passersby scanned QR codes on the signs to access easy-to-understand information on data collection and usage methods. Future plans for the first-of-its-type platform include translation into three languages and entries for other technologies in use.

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Long Beach, CA

United States

Ajax, ON Council Decision Dashboard simplifies project management and tracking by town departments

The Council Decision Dashboard is an interactive resource shaped by eight years of town council motions. An overview page visualizes council motion types, outcomes, and statuses by year and department. This internal dashboard helps department heads plan budgetary and staff requests, while town leaders can monitor project progress. Ajax developed the dashboard as part of a data visualization initiative that also produced a fire incident map and a snow removal app.

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Ajax, ON

Canada

Boerne, TX Water Dashboard encourages smart water consumption and conservation with current data

Boerne developed the dashboard for data-driven decisions on water use by a growing population. An interactive map includes layers detailing wells, stream gages, precipitation forecasts, and drought levels. Dashboard users select their utilities for current water conservation statuses and recommended activities. Additional features of the Boerne Water Dashboard include annual demand charts, water flow or storage trends, and daily water reclamation averages.

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Boerne, TX

United States

Philadelphia, PA Disability Representation Map supports data-driven infrastructure improvements

The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities turned American Community Survey data into an interactive map. Color-coded and monochromatic overlays show the percentages of residents with disabilities by census tract for users with differing levels of color vision. Each tract's narrative explains the types of disabilities and resident demographics in greater detail. The map is keyboard accessible and uses textured features for those with low vision.

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Philadelphia, PA

United States